Awards Season 2026: Best Original Scores at the BAFTAs and the Oscars

Awards season is nearing its end, with the BAFTAs later today, February 22, and the Oscars coming on March 15. I'll always say that, although I'm by no means a massive fan (or detractor) of film awards, I'm always happy that it's the one time of year where film music gets to be widely celebrated. The nominee slates also provide great peaks into the state of modern, mainstream film music, and this year's selections are a great cross-section of style and approach. And of course, it gives me an excuse to talk about them a little bit, so read below then listen on. Of the nominees, I interviewed Max Richter for Hamnet and also interviewed Jerskin Fendrix near the end of 2023 for Poor Things (which I would have swore was not that long ago...). This year, the nominees for both sets of awards are the same: Bugonia – Jerskin Fendrix (Interview) Frankenstein – Alexandre Desplat Hamnet – Max Richter (Interview) One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood Sinners – Ludwig Göransson